State Group Honors Local Library Friends

Here 'n' there

July 11, 1994|By MARLENE CLARK; Courant columnist

Folks at the Meriden Public Library say they have the best friends in the state. They can prove it, too.

The Friends of the Meriden Public Library group has received an Outstanding Friends award for 1993-94 from the state group the Friends of Connecticut Libraries. Longtime member and past president William Anderson won an Outstanding Friend of the Year award. The awards were in the category for libraries in cities with populations over 50,000.

The more than 800 members of the Friends of the Meriden Public Library do what many supporters do -- shelve books, raise money, sponsor programs -- and more. They successfully lobbied the city council for a theft-detection system and helped install it. Now, alarms go off if patrons leave the library with unchecked materials. Thanks to the library group, residents with personal computers and modems can access the library's program that contains the card catalog and all titles in the on-line system -- more than 22,000 -- to which the library belongs.

Librarian Victoria Navin reminded me not to forget the listening center and the computer in the children's section. The Friends group paid for these, too.

Residents may recognize the Friends for their creative and artistic floats in the annual Daffodil Festival parade.

Many of these programs couldn't have happened without Anderson, said President Gil Alwang. A past president several times, Anderson has been involved in nearly every project in the last decade. He drums up and trains volunteers, computerized the Friends' membership list, and visits the library almost daily to see what needs to be done.

``I don't know many other people like that in 1994,'' Navin said.

*

Sara Klattenberg of Middletown will head to college this fall with a boost from DEKALB Plant Genetics. Klattenberg, who graduated from the vocational agricultural program at Middletown High School, received the 1994 DEKALB accomplishment award from the company. The award is considered the highest honor a vo-ag student can receive on the local level.

*

Congratulations to several area artists who exhibited their works at the annual spring show of the Haddam Art League.

Dodie Holland Murad received the best in show award, and Arlene Russell swept the oil painting division. Both are from Haddam.

Jorgen Hansenof Middletown received a third-place award and the people's choice award. Joyce Millerof Higganum received the Sibley Company award.

Other winners were Karl Lang and Julie Comerford of Old Saybrook; John Martin, KyllikkiFrench, and Susan Oehl of Higganum; Nathalie Mermet-Grandfille and Doug Prill of Middletown; Francis S. Pearson of Deep River; Robert Rioux of East Haddam; Judith Scott of Killingworth; and Phyllis McGill of the Rockfall section of Middlefield.

Terry Oakes Bourret of Durham judged the event. Bourret's work is well known. An artist and teacher, she's exhibited at the National Arts Club in New York City, the Museum of American Art in New Britain, and at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, where one of her paintings was selected for the Connecticut Collection. It now hangs in the governor's mansion in Hartford.

It was a fine show.

*

If you're in the Chester area, you might want to stop by the Connecticut River Artisans Co-op this month. A exhibit of heirlooms and collectibles will be on display. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.

*

Band and chorus students at Cromwell High School ended the year on a high note. Special awards went to several students. They included Alison Molnarand Toni Gonzales, most improved; Paola Martinez, Jennifer Callahan, Chris Carriere, Erin Cioffi, Krisler Bailey, David Brookman, Lori Manwaring, Heidi Chadsey, Jocelyn Oullette, Katina Musser, Leslie Rosa, Rachel Sinicrope and Tom Babiarz, music honors; Joe O'Toole, outstanding jazz instrumentalist; Tina Fazio, outstanding drum major and the John Phillip Sousa Band Award; and Christie Tanguay, the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.